


Goodbye

by TheWritingGiant



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:54:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26883211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingGiant/pseuds/TheWritingGiant
Summary: When Hailey Upton returned to Chicago, she expected to face some challenges. Re-meshing with the team, sure. Earning Voight's trust back, of course. But she never expected what was waiting for her when she finally got home, none of them did.
Relationships: Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton
Comments: 7
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone. So I got hooked on Chicago PD over the pandemic, and it's actually really helped me get over some writer's block I've been suffering from since February. This is an idea that hit me when it was announced that Lisseth would not be returning. Sorry if it's sad. Hope you like it.

A face full of wind was not usually something that would make a person break out into a grin. Still, as she stepped out of her Uber and a gust whipped her blonde hair around, Hailey Upton knew the smile couldn't be slapped off of her face. She was home, after three long weeks, she was finally home. New York had been a good experience, a necessary experience, but she was beyond happy to be home. Grabbing her suitcase from the back of the car, she made her way up the familiar steps of the 21st District of the Chicago Police Department. She'd gotten off the plane an hour ago, after an early morning flight, and the precinct was her first stop.

"Detective Goldilocks," Hailey shook her head at the nickname. 

"Sergeant Platt," she greeted the woman at the desk with a smile.

"So what's the deal?" Trudy leaned forward. "Fancy suits and a pay rise no enough to tempt you out of this place?"

"Fancy suits are overrated," the blonde wrinkled her nose.

"Sure they are," Platt nodded knowingly. "It's good to see you back Hailey."

"Thanks, Trudy," she grinned again and tugged her bag up the steps to the Intelligence bullpen.

She could hear the teams voices before she saw them, laughing away at something, Kevin's deep baritone, and Kim's clean, clear lit. It was them, her team, her people, that she had missed most while she'd been away, one in particular.

"Hey, hey," Adam cheered, when he caught sight of her. "Look whose back."

"Hey guys," she greeted as Kevin got up from his desk and slung an arm around her shoulder, pulling her tight to his side.

"Thought those feds were gonna keep you forever."

"No way, man," she returned his squeeze, happy he was still such a teddy bear despite what he'd gone through while she's been away. "Intelligence all the way."

"Welcome back, Hail," Kim beamed, pulling her into a hug of her own.

"Good to be back."

"Upton," a familiar gravelly voice pulled them apart, she looked across the room and daw Voight sticking his head out of his office. She knew she was being summoned. He was the reason this was her first stop after all. Stealing her breath, she made her way over, shoving Adam's shoulder on her way past as he feigned offence at his lack of hug.

"Take a seat," Voight gestured from behind his desk as she shut the door behind her. "I read the report that SAC Castille sent over, you did good work over there," he leaned back in his chair. "They were impressed."

"But?"

"No buts Hailey, you know why I sent you there, so tell me, did it help?"

"It did," she nodded. "The strict lines helped put things back in perspective. You don't like to say it out loud, but you don't want us to be you, or Olinsky, or the old school Chicago cops. You want us to find the better way, you always have. I'm sorry I lost sight of that, it won't happen again. I've made some appointments to talk with someone, to make sure it stays that way."

"Good," he nodded and leaned forward, pulling a file open. Hailey knew this was her signal to get back to work. As she retreated, Voight spoke from behind her. "It's good to have you back, Hailey."

She smiled as she made her way back to her desk only to groan at the large stack of paper and mail sitting on it. "Please tell me we have a case."

"Sorry," Adam shrugged. "Just wrapped a doozy of a drug case though. I made the sweetest takedown."

"Shut up, Ruze," she sat down in her chair and pulled the first paper off the pile.

The gate door rattled, and she turned to see her partner coming up the stairs, a large flat box in his hands, his face buried in his phone. "Alright, you jackals, paperwork doughnuts have arrived."

"You better have remembered my apple fritter, Halstead," she teased, drawing his attention.

"Hailey," his green eyes lit up as a wide smile spread across his face. He passed the box off to Adam and walked over to her.

"Hey, partner," she rose from her chair and pulled him into a hug. "Missed you," she whispered into his neck.

"More than the wind?"

"Way more."

"Looks like he did indeed remember your fritter," Adam smirked as he passed her the box. 

She raised her and pulled it out of the box. "Habit," Jay shrugged.

"Trained you well," she grinned and took a bite. Jay rolled his eyes and grabbed his own doughnut as they all settled down to work. 

The monotony of the day was shattered by Voight coming out of his office. "Where's Rojas?"

Hailey lifted her head and looked around, she had been so absorbed in catching up that she hadn't realized her roommate had yet to walk in.

"CI run?" Kim shrugged.

"Court?" Kevin suggested. "I know the state's attorney told her he would need her."

"Hiding to avoid paperwork, because she knows how much it sucks," Adam offered. Jay threw a crumpled up ball of paper at his head.

"Well, call her, text her, whatever you can, just her touch base. I want her back here ASAP," the sergeant commanded and headed back to his office, slamming the door behind him.

'Where you at,' Hailey texted the young officer. 'Whatever you're doing wrap it up quick and get back here, Voight is pissed.' She waited for a few minutes, but no reply came. "Kev, you reach her?"

"Straight to voicemail," he shook his head. "But she'd have to have it off if she was in court."

"I say we make it a bet," Adam piped up. "Loser buys first two rounds at Molly's? I'm telling you guys, she the smartest of all of us, she's playing hooky."

"Get back to work Ruzek," Jay chucked another paper ball at the man's head. 

A prickle of unease crept up the back of her neck. Hailey picked up her phone again and frowned at the lack of messages from her friend, she was sure that if Vanessa were in court, Voight would know about it. 

"Hey," Jay's voice pulled her back. "I got like, two sentences left of this report."

"Yeah, I'm nearly done too."

"Then let's finish them and take lunch," he suggested. "We can swing by your place and see if Rojas is there. Maybe she's sick and just forgot to phone in."

"Yeah," Hailey nodded and tucked her phone away. "Yeah, that sounds good."

She finished up first and headed to Voight's office to tell him the plan. "Hey Sarge," the man grunted in acknowledgement. "No one's heard back from Rojas yet, Jay and I are going to go on lunch, we'll swing by mine and see if she's there."

"Touch base either way."

"Will do," she turned around and saw Jay waiting with her jacket and suitcase. "Let's go."

"Wait," Adam lifted his head from his report. "You two are just abandoning us?"

"So Bartoli's?" Jay grinned, jogging down the steps. "Get you some real pizza?"

"Hell yes," she agreed, chuckling at Adam's loud protests. "I'm thinking, pepperoni, spinach and bacon."

"Sounds good," he opened the gate. "Or we could really piss Adam off and get the Alfredo."

Hailey tilted her head back and laughed as her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she signalled Jay to hold up as she answered. "Upton."

"Hailey Upton?" a man's voice asked.

"That's right," the blonde responded. "Who's this?"

"Miss Upton, my name is James Schuster, I'm a nurse at Gaffney Medical Center."

Hailey frowned. "What can I do for you, James."

"Miss Upton, you're listed as the emergency contact for a Vanessa Rojas…"


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned sadness ahead. I'd say hope you enjoy, but that's probably not the right word.

Memory can be a funny thing sometimes. What the brain records, and what it doesn't. What we know has happened, as a logical and natural progression of events, and what you can actually recall. They are two very, very different things. 

Hailey couldn't remember Jay catching her as her knees gave out. She couldn't remember stammering out what Nurse Schuster had told her, or Jay shouting up the stairs to the team. She couldn't remember the car ride to Med, or the feeling of Jay's hand clutching at hers as he darted in and out of traffic, sirens blaring, lights flashing.

The only thing her mind recalled where the words Nurse James had spoken. "Vanessa was in an accident. She was rushed to Med and taken immediately into emergency surgery. You should get here as soon as you can." 

It was all that ran through her mind. 'Vanessa. Accident. Emergency surgery.' It flashed over and over again. 'Vanessa. Accident. Emergency surgery. Vanessa. Accident. Emergency surgery. Vanessa. Vanessa. Vanessa…' Maybe it was, that in times like that, the brain only remembers the things that mattered most. 'Vanessa.'

When they got to the hospital, Maggie was waiting for them, and Hailey could clearly remember the look on her face when she told them what she knew. Firehouse 51 had responded to a 911 call reporting a car accident, near Humboldt Park. There were no signs of a crash when they arrived, but they found her doing a sweep to make sure. She was alive but suffering from head trauma and internal bleeding. Dr Marcel was with her, operating, trying to repair the damage, he was one of the top trauma surgeons in the state, if not the country, she was in good hands.

She could remember that there were thirty-seven tiles on the floor of the all too familiar waiting room. She counted them, years ago, as they waited for news on Olinsky, and she counted them again as they waited on Rojas. One, two, three, four, five, her eyes scanned over each and every one of them, left to right, right to left, forward and back, over and over again. It was simple, it was something she could control, it was something that kept her mind from racing with all the possible unknowns. 

Most of all, Hailey was sure she'd never forgot the number twenty-three. It was on the twenty-third tile of her endless recount when Voight jumped to her feet beside her. It was on the twenty-third tile when Dr Marcel walked in. It was on the twenty-third tile that her life, a life she loved, full of people she loved, changed forever. Twenty-three, she knew she'd hate that number for the rest of her life.

She knew it before the surgeon opened his mouth, she could read it on his face. His downturned eyes, how he twisted his scrub cap in his hands, the way he bit his lip before he spoke. She was sure the other's saw it too after all reading people was a large part of their job. "We did everything we could," his New Orleans drawl rasped out. "But the damage was too extensive. I am so, so sorry."

She'd remember the teams' reactions to the new too. How Kevin, seemed to freeze in place before turning heel and storming out. How Kim, tears falling thick and fast down her cheeks went after him, knowing her best friend needed her. Adam leaned against the far wall, his back to them, and Voight went into the hall with the Doc, his face still stoic, but now carrying a certain pallor. 

Hailey dropped her head in her hands, her thumb and forefinger pinching hard at her temples as her tears leaked out between her eyelids. Hard as she tried, she knew nothing would stop them from falling. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Jay. His jaw was clenched tight, she could see the muscles in his face twitching from the force, his eyes were rimmed red, but no tears fell from them. He crouched down in front of her, and Hailey leaned forward as a sob ripped from her throat. Jay folded his strong arms around her, his hands rubbing up and down her back as her pain overtook her. They stayed like that until Voight walked back in, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours, she wasn't sure.

"Take an hour," he said. "Then I want you back at the district, we got work to do."

She and Jay drove back to the 21st right away. "You gonna be okay for this?"

"I don't know," Hailey answered after a few moments. "I never thought…"

He nodded in understanding. "Me either."

Despite their job, all they see, all they do, all the dangers, no one ever thinks it's going to be someone else who goes. Themselves sure, but a partner, a teammate, the youngest of them, no, it's just not a way they can afford to think. They were quiet for the rest of the ride, and Hailey hopped out as soon as Jay put the car in park. "I'm gonna call dispatch, see if we can get a recording of that 911 call. It's as good a starting point as any." 

"Hailey," Jay grabbed her arm gently, stopping her in her tracks. "Voight said to take an hour."

"I don't want to take an hour, Jay," she tore her arm from his grasp. "I want to find out what happened to Vanessa."

"I know, I know," he raised his hands in defence. "I do too, you know I do, but take the hour. Eat, shower, hit something, scream, do something else, anything that lets you get some of what you're feeling out. We need clear heads on this."

She nodded and pursed her lips together, trying her best to hold back the tears that threatened to fall again. "Okay," she nodded, her voice clipped. She marched away from him and headed straight to the locker room and back to the showers. Mercifully all the stalls were empty, snagging the furthest one, she stripped down and turned the tap as hot as it could go. Stepping under the spray, she braced her hands against the wall and let loose a strangled scream of rage? or was it pain? She wasn't sure, maybe there were one and the same, but it opened the flood gates. She hit the tile wall with a palm strike, again and again, relishing in the sting as everything she was feeling rushed over her in time with the cascading water.

Jay had been right, the shower had helped, so had the screaming and hitting the wall. She felt clearer, not better, but some of her anger had faded. She towelled off, changed her clothes with some spares from her locker and tied her hair up in a ponytail. She was ready to work.

Jay was on the phone when she walked into the bullpen. "Yeah," he nodded along with whatever the person on the end of the line was saying. "Just rush that okay? We need it as soon as possible. Thank you?"

"Who was that," Hailey asked and sat on the edge of her desk.

"OEMC," he responded. "They're going to send us the recording of the 911 call as soon as they can track it down."

"Are the other's back yet?"

"Ruze is in the break room calling 51," he stretched. "Kim and Kev are on their way now."

"And Voight?"

"Running her MUDs and Tolls."

She nodded and turned at the sound of the gate opening up behind them, Kevin and Kim had arrived. She'd never seen the large man look so small before, so defeated, not even when he had to send his siblings away. They locked eyes as he sat at his desk, and he gave her the smallest of nods. 'I'm here for you,' were his silent words.

Hailey gave him the barest quirt of her lips. 'Me too.'

Voight came out of his office and looked around at his team. "Ruzek, get out here."

Adam rushed in, tucking his phone into his pocket. "That was Chief Boden, they're still on shift, but he'll make whoever we want to talk to available."

"Good," Voight and walked over to the whiteboard. He taped a picture of Vanessa to it and turned to face them. "So what do we know? Why was she in the park this morning?"

"Running," Hailey answered automatically. "She went for a run every day."

"Always Humboldt Park?"

"No," she shook her head. "Never the same place more than two days in a row. Just like they tell us in the academy. She literally throws a dart at a list to pick," she swallowed. "Threw a dart, I mean."

"She mention any issues with anyone? Did she think she was being followed at all?" If she had, it wasn't something she'd mentioned during their frequent chats while Hailey was in New York. She looked around and saw the rest shaking their heads. Voight nodded and sucked at his teeth. "Jay, you and Hailey go to the firehouse, get their take. I want to know what they do."

"Got it."

"What about her car?" the older man asked. 

"She doesn't have one," Hailey answered. "But she's been using mine while I was away."

"I'll have Platt run the GPS. Kim, I want you in Vanessa's comms. Check her emails, her texts see if there are any red flags. Adam, Kevin work her CIs. Crawfords only giving us twenty-four hours before he's going to kick this to homicide."

"Sarge," Kevin started.

"I'm working on it," he dismissed. "You all know what you're doing, so get going."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Jay and Hailey found themselves crowded into Chief Boden's office with Brett, Casey, Severide and Boden himself. 

"I don't know what to tell you guys," Casey sighed. "It came across the wire as a car accident, so we rolled Truck, Squad and Ambo. We got there, but there were no signs of a crash. No cars, no debris on the street, nothing. We did our due diligence and started a scan up and down the road."

"We found her near the tennis courts," Kelly continued. “On the grass.”

"Any idea how she got there?" Hailey asked thickly.

"She could have been thrown and rolled or crawled out of the road," Matt answered. "There were no signs of braking, or curb hopping, so there's no way for us to know really."

"We'll see if there are any camera's in the area," Jay said, his head buried in his notepad. "Anything else you can think of?"

"She was a fighter," Sylvie said. "Vanessa was in rough shape when we found her, but she fought hard to make it to Med. I'm so sorry guys."

"Do you have any idea how long she was out there?" Jay asked.

They all shook their heads, Kelly answered. "It took us maybe five minutes to respond to the call, another five to find her at the scene. But all that assumes the people that that hit her called it in right away."

"Alright, thanks guys," Jay tucked his pad away. "Anything else you can think of you give us a call."

"We're really sorry," Casey frowned as they stood to leave.

"Thanks," Jay shook hands with him, and Kelly as Brett pulled Hailey into a hug. 

Boden stood from his desk as his officers left the room. "Anything you need," he shook hands with them both. "Anything at all and you call, you understand?"

"Thanks, Chief," Hailey did her best to smile as Jay gave him a nod. Information in hand, they returned to the district.

"So 51's got pretty much nothing," Jay said as they walked into the bullpen. "But they don't think the driver stopped."

"Burgess might have found something," Adam said from his desk. "Vanessa got an alert, a prisoner released from Stateville, Simon Bolton."

"Whose that?" Hailey asked.

Adam pointed at the whiteboard, where a new photo was hanging. It was a white guy, mid-twenties, thin face, red hair, blue eyes. "He was a drug runner from her UC days. She had to testify against him. He reportedly threatened her at the courthouse, but that's unverified."

"What's he doing out?" Jay asked.

"He was pinched on an assault charge. Got three years, served one and change, got popped for good behaviour and overcrowding a month ago. Kim and Kevin are picking him up now, and Voight and I are gonna take a run at him."

"Anything else?" Hailey swallowed, she really wanted to be in that room but knew it wasn't the smart call.

"Yeah, Platt found your car Hailey," he checked his notes. "It's in a parking lot on North Ave. I was also able to get a few businesses in the area to send over their footage from this morning I was going go through it. Still, I can text you address if you want to go."

"Yeah," Hailey nodded and grabbed her jacket. "Thanks, Adam."

"I'll drive-" Jay started but was cut off by the gate opening. Looking at the stairs, they watched as Kim and Kevin all but frog-marched their suspect into the bullpen.

"This has got to be entrapment or something," the redhead was spitting with rage.

"Mr Bolton, you have the right to remain silent," Kim rolled her eyes as they led him to the interrogation room. "I am begging you to exercise that right, right now."

"Adam with me," Voight ordered, coming out of his office. "Halstead, check the status of that 911 call, light a fire under them. Upton, I want you to start combing through the security footage we got. Bring Burgess into it too and have Atwater see if he can get any more on Rojas' movements over the last few days."

All thoughts of her car slipped from her mind as she sat down at her desk and got to work. It took over an hour, Voight and Adam were getting nowhere if the frustrated looks on their faces as they took turns coming and going were any indication. Jay had been on the phone with OEMC and then OCD tech, while her, Kim and Kevin went through hours of footage. She was just getting ready to grab a coffee when she saw it. "Guys," she called over her shoulder. "Come look at this."

Kim, Kevin and Jay gathered around her chair as she hit play. "You got him," Kevin patted her shoulder. "Print those out, get 'em too Voight."

Hailey could hear Voight's voice as she stood outside the interrogation room door and knocked. "What?"

She opened it and stepped into the room. Adam was leaning against the far wall, while Voight leaned on the table, glaring down at a smirking Bolton. "Take a breather Ruze," Hailey and slid into the seat across from the redhead. Waiting until the officer left the room, she started, fixing her face in the most neutral expression as she could. "Vanessa Rojas," she tapped the photo of her friend that was already open on the table. 

"Like I've been telling your boss, Sweetie," the man's smirk deepened. "I've never heard of Vanessa Rojas."

"Oh," she hummed in faux sympathy. "Yeah, you don't know the name of the cop that got you put away. The cop that you threatened-"

"I didn't threaten anyone," Simon cut across.

"In the courthouse," Hailey continued over him. "But fine, we can call her Sofia Ramos, if you'd like, you're more familiar with her under that name." 

She watched as Bolton bristled and tried not to smile. She laid the new few photos down on the table in front of the man. Vanessa on the street, with him a few feet behind her. Vanessa, in line at a coffee shop, him coming through the door. Jeans and a grey hoodie, his red hair sticking out from under a baseball cap, it was unmistakably him. "These are just from today," she leaned back and crossed her arms. "I mean we should have spotted it by your hat alone. Come one man; a cubs hat sticks out like a sore thumb that deep in Sox territory, but you didn't even bother to change before our guys picked you up. That's not even a rookie error; it’s just stupid."

Simon swallowed hard. "Fine I knew her, but didn't know her y' know? I had a job in the area, is it a crime to get coffee at the closest shop?"

"What happened, Simon?" Voight came back over. "Your temper get the best of you. We know you have one, especially with women. April Hughes can attest to that. So you see the woman that put you away, all alone, and decided to make good threat from back in the day."

"I told you I never threatened her," he sniffed. "I never touched that cop. It was a coincidence. I was at work, you can check with my boss."

"A coincidence," Hailey repeated. "We like coincidences, don't we Sarge?" 

"We do."

"Well, coincidentally, we also have these," she placed down the next series of photos. One of them outside the shop Vanessa with a coffee in hand. Of Simon behind Vanessa again, grabbing her arm. Of them facing each other, a heated look on Vanessa's face. Of her ripping her arm away. Bolton shoving her, Vanessa pushing him back. And the last one of Bolton sprawled on the ground while Vanessa walked away.

"Sure looks like you touched her to me," Voight mused.

"So what happened, Honey," Hailey intoned. "We know you were already angry at her, now what, you're embarrassed too? I mean you just got taken down by a woman half your size. And we know that your temper alone makes you violent, but apparently the combo makes you lethal."

"I told you," he shouted. "I was at work. I didn't kill her. I didn't even know she was dead until your people picked me up."

"We've days of footage," Hailey lied.

"Look," Bolton scrubbed at his face. "Fine, I found her, alright? Last week. I followed her-"

“Stalked her,” Hailey cut in. "You were stalking her."

"Fine," he yelled. "But I didn't kill her."

"We'll see about that," she got up out of her chair, Voight on her heels. She ran a hand through her hair, but before she could say anything to her boss, Kim appeared at the end of the hall.

"Jay's found something."

Jay was gnawing on his lip as they approached, Hailey knew she was going to hate whatever he had to say. It wasn't something he did a lot, she could only count a handful of times she'd seen it before, but each and every time it appeared, it always meant bad news. "Sarge," he refused to look at her. "I think we have to cut Bolton loose."

She glared at him, so did Kevin. "Why in the hell would we do that?" The large man asked.

"The 911 call finally came through," he hit a button on his computer. "Listen."

"911, what is your emergency," The operator's voice rang out. 

"There was a car accident," a calm voice spoke. "Westside of Humboldt Park on Luis Munoz Marin Drive, send an ambulance."

"Alright, Sir, I'm sending them now. Are you hurt at all?" the operator spoke again. Muffling broke out over the line. "Sir? Are you injured?"

"Send an ambulance," the calm voice repeated.

"It's on its way sir, firefighters too, can you tell me-" but a clatter cut off the operator, and then the line went dead.

"Did you hear it?" Jay asked, looking around at them.

"Well it sounds nothing like Bolton," Kim sighed. 

"Doesn't mean it wasn't him," Adam supplied.

"I'm talking about in the background," Jay played it again. "Listen closer."

Kevin shrugged. "Traffic."

"A voice," Voight leaned closer. "Can't make it out."

Jay pulled up another file. "Neither could I, so I sent it to OCD Tech to see if they could clean it up and they did. Check this out."

"Oh man," a tinny, panicked voice sounded. "She's dead, man, she's dead."

"Calm down," ordered the voice from the 911 call.

"She's dead, I just, we just, she is dead right?" the second person choked. "My Dad's gonna kill me."

"This still doesn't mean that Bolton isn't involved," Adam insisted. "He could have put whoever they are up to it."

"Did we get a trace on it?" Voight asked.

"A convenience store on North Avenue," Jay responded.

"Alright go through PODs, security cams, anything we can get our hands-on," Voight ordered. "Halstead, Upton, want you to check Bolton's alibi. Ruzek's right just because we have this doesn't mean he isn't in on it. Atwater, Burgess, get in his MUDs and Tolls, see if he's made any calls to the number. We got seventy-two hours to hold him, let's be sure."

*

"I don't know what to tell you," Sean Archer, the site foreman scratched at his ear. "He's here, every day, eight o'clock on the dot. Pretty sure he's the only one I've never cited being late."

"Including today," Hailey asked.

"Yes, ma'am." 

"And you were with him all day?"

Sean nodded. "He's new, that means he's on my hip."

"He didn't duck out to make or take a phone call," Jay broke in. "Did you see him checking his phone for messages anything like that?"

"No," the other man dismissed. "He's a hard worker, even spends his breaks picking my ear about the job, learning what he can. I know he's got a past, so he seems, I don't, determined I guess, to make this work."

"Alright," Jay nodded. "Thanks for your time."

"No problem," Sean gave them both a nod and went back to his crew.

"Well, that was useless," Hailey growled as they made their way back to Jay's truck.

"Hailey…"

"He could still be in on it," she insisted.

Jay looked at her for a minute, biting at his lip again, but chose not to reply. He just started the car and headed back to the district. They'd just turned onto to Kedzie when her phone pinged. "That an update?" Jay asked, but his partner was silent. "Hailey?"

"It's from Trudy," she replied tightly. "They, uh, they need Vanessa's dress uniform. It's at the house."

Jay scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "Want to go now?" the blonde nodded. "Can I come with?"

"Yeah," Hailey nodded again.

Jay had her message, Voight, what they were doing and took a U-turn as quickly as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Question for another story I'm working on, if Hailey were to have an irrational fear, what do you guys think it would be? Sound off below and let me know.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been nearly a month since Hailey had stood inside the familiar, comfortable walls of her home. It was strange to think that just a few hours ago she'd been looking forward to it, now walking through the front door filled her with dread. It was like being was on auto-pilot. She went inside, headed up the stairs, and down the hall to Vanessa's room, Jay right behind her the entire time. They didn't say a single word to each other. She pushed open the door and looked around; it was as neat and tidy as ever. Vanessa had never quite gotten over her habit of making sure everything was back in its place the moment she was finished with it. 

She let out a breath and walked inside to the closet. It was just as orderly as the rest of the room—work clothes on the left, casual on the right. A garment bag was at the far end, Hailey grabbed it and opened it, making sure it was what she was after. When she saw the familiar deep blue of their overcoat, a thought hit her. "I don't think Vanessa ever got to wear this," she turned to face Jay. "They pulled her out of the academy for an undercover op before graduation. I don't think she's had any other reason to since."

Jay looked at the suit and shook his head. "Not that I know of."

"It's not fair, Jay," she sniffed, tears stinging at her eyes once more. "How can she just be gone?"

"Hey, come here," he took the bag out of her hands and placed it on the bed, pulling Hailey into his arms. "I know this sucks; I miss her too."

"She didn't deserve this," Hailey choked out.

"I know," Jay soothed, rocking them gently on the spot. He didn't say another word after that, just held her as she cried, offering her what comfort he could while letting her feel everything she needed to.

*

"This is Steven O'Shea," Kim put a mug shot on the whiteboard an hour later as the team gathered around. "He's seventeen. Has a pretty decent wrap sheet, mostly for petty theft. He just got out of juvie three months ago, after getting pinched trying to boost an ATM."

"Yeah, he's one that made the call," Adam continued. "He was with this kid," Kim put up another photo, the pair were in a convenience store parking lot. Steve, tall and skinny, was on the phone, while his friend, shorter but broader wrung a beanie in his hands. "No ID on him yet, but we've got it running on facial rec."

"Any connection to Bolton?" Voight asked.

"None," Kim replied. "And no connection to Rojas that we can find."

"Ruze, you and Atwater go scoop him up," the sergeant ordered.

"Think we can get him flip on his friend?" Jay asked.

"We're gonna try," Voight called over his shoulder on his way back to his office.

Soon enough, Adam and Kevin were walking back up the stairs, Steven O'Shea between them. He looked far older than his seventeen years, Hailey thought as she watched them lead the teenager to the interrogation room. Maybe it was because he was so tall, six and a half feet, according to his file, especially with the little, frail-looking woman, Steven's mother, following close behind. Or maybe it was a remnant of his time in juvie. Whatever it was, it didn't really matter to her as she trailed into the observation room, she had to watch this. She saw Kevin and Adam dump the kid into a chair, watched as Steven's eyes trace over the place, documenting everything he could see. His mothers did the same in a more panicked fashion. Kevin and Voight joined her in the observation room as Jay and Kim took point with the kid.

"You got quite the rap sheet, Steven," she watched her partner flick through the file in his hands. "Possession, petty theft, possession with intent, petty theft, petty theft, vandalism, and look at that more petty theft." Jay closed the file. "Still, it's a huge jump from all that to murder."

"Murder," the mother, Lillian's, head whipped around to her son. "Steven?"

"I didn't murder anyone," the boy said coldly, his gaze never leaving Jay's. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really," Kim played the 911 call. "How about now?"

Steven shrugged. "That's not me,"

"Yes, Steven, it is you," Jay placed a series of stills on the table. "This is you and your buddy, behind the Stop & Shop on North Ave, making that 911 call."

The teenager leaned forward and studied the photos for a second, then looked back up at them a smirk on his face. Behind the mirror Hailey clenched her hands into fists, she'd never really wanted to hit a kid before. "I was talking friend, not 911," he said. 

"Talking to a friend," Jay tapped the other boy in the photo. "Who is this friend? Cause, you see, we got him on the 911 call as well." He looked to Kim, who played the scrubbed version, and they listened as the frantic voice filled the room. "Who is he?"

"Don't know," Steven crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair as his mother looked at the pictures.

"You seem to care an awful lot, someone you don't know," Jay placed down another series of photos from the video. Steven, with his hand on the other boy's shoulder. The boy doubled over, his hands on his knees as Steven rubbed his back. Steven leading the unknown boy away, his arm over his shoulders. "Let me tell you something else you don't know. That woman you ran over and left for dead on the side of the road, like trash-"

"Steven," Lillian gasped again.

"She was a cop," Jay continued over her.

"Oh my god," Lillian cried.

"Tell us who your friend is. Tell us what happened, and maybe we can cut a deal," Jay shook his head. "Otherwise we're booking you for murder, and you're close enough to eighteen to be tried as an adult. That means the rest of your life behind bars."

Steven stayed silent.

"Voice analysis will prove you're the one that made that call," Kim said, "This is your last chance Steven, who's your friend?" 

"Steven!"

"Shut up, Mom."

"That is Travis Hunt," Lillian pointed to the other boy picture.

"Mom!"

"He lives down the street from us. He's a junior at Austin High," she rushed. "They've been friends for years."

Hailey and Voight were out the door before she could hear the rest of the mother's pleas.

*

Travis Hunt confessed before the door to the interrogation room closed. Patrols had picked him up from lacrosse practice, and his older sister had met them at the district. It had been an accident. He and Steven were joyriding in his father's car, speeding, doing stunts, just being stupid kids. The road had been nearly empty that early in the morning, so he gunned it, trying to do a 360 spinout, hadn't even seen Vanessa coming. Travis drove away in a panic, that's when Steven took over. He was just trying to protect his friend. Travis was an athlete, a good one; he'd had offers already from Notre Dame, Duke and UNC. Now all that was gone, because of a stupid mistake. What a waste; Vanessa, Travis, even Steven.

A young police, with a bright career in front of her; gone.

A talented young athlete, going to jail for vehicular manslaughter; his own bright future snuffed out.

A troubled kid, who was just trying to protect his friend, who was just doing what he thought was right, back in jail. 

It was all just such a waste.

A hand on her shoulder snapped Hailey out of her thoughts. She looked up at Jay, so handsome in his dress uniform, as he handed her a bottle of beer. The funeral earlier had been rough. The team acted as pallbearers, just like they with Al a few short years before. Honestly, she'd felt like a zombie all day. Half-awake, half in a daze, just going through the motions. Afterwards, the whole team decided to gather at Molly's to toast their fallen friend.

"Here you go guys," Herrmann placed a tray of shots on the table, B-52's, Vanessa's favourite. "I got something else for you too," he set an envelope down. "We did a collection for Vanessa last shift. She was a good kid; we're gonna miss her around here."

"Thanks, Herrmann," Voight shook the man's hand. After the firefighter left, he slid the envelope closer to Hailey. She looked up at her boss, who gave her a small nod. It was hers he was saying, she looked around at the team, but they all shared the same look, so she slowly took the offer and placed it in her inside coat pocket.

Voight picked up a glass and raised it high. "To Vanessa, we'll miss you, kid."

"To Vanessa," the team echoed and threw back the drinks.

The others departed soon after, tired from an emotionally draining day, but Hailey sat rooted to the spot. Jay sat down beside her with a sigh. "Long day."

"Yeah," she took a sip of her drink.

"You should head home, Hailey," he said. "Get some rest."

"I can't," she ran her hands over her hair. She'd tried but barely made it ten minutes before she fled the house and crashed in her Jeep. She'd been there ever since.

"Hailey." 

"I can't, Jay," she shook her head. "She's everywhere; on the couch shouting at the Blackhawks. She's in the kitchen dancing and singing while she burned everything she ever tried to make. In the backyard, making up new names and stories all the constellations, because no one ever taught her the real ones. Everywhere I look, she's there. It's like it's haunted."

Jay frowned. "You know that not what Rojas would want." Hailey shrugged, he was right, but that's how it was. She took another sip of her drink. "Wait," Jay turned in his seat, to face her properly. "It's been three days Hailey, where have you been staying?"

"My car."

"Hailey," he groaned. "You should have come to me."

"I didn't want to bother you," she dismissed. "You're grieving too. Besides, it's my issue."

Jay got out of his seat and held his hand out to her. "Come on, come with me."

"Jay."

"Hailey," she knew not to argue with him when he took that tone. Taking his hand, she followed him outside and trailed him in her car to his apartment. He grabbed her bag out of the back and guided her up the stairs. Once inside, they both changed out of their uniforms. When she came out of the bathroom, hair finally free from the tight bun the dress uniform called for, wearing some sweats and an old Bears Jersey, Jay was setting some blankets and pillows on the couch.

"You can take the bed," he nodded towards his room. "I'll crash here."

"I'm not kicking you out of your bed, Jay," the blonde shook her head. 

"You've been sleeping in your car for the last three days; you need a real bed."

"You know," She shrugged. "It's actually not too if you put the back seats down. I'll be fine on the couch, I've slept on it before."

"Hailey," he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Jay," she mirrored his pose.

They held each other's gaze for a minute or two before Jay dropped his arms and let out a huff. Hailey smiled at her triumph; he'd yet to win a staring match with her. Before she could react, her partner scooped her up over his shoulder, marched into his room and dropped her on his bed.

She moved her tangled hair out of her face and glared up at her friend. He was staring down at her, his shoulders shaking before he broke out in laughter. Hailey followed soon after. 

"It feels good to laugh," she said as they quieted down and moved to sit at the end of the bed.

"Yeah," he nodded and dropped down beside her. "It does." They fell quiet again, their chests still twitching with laughter, when Hailey yawned. "I should let you get some rest," he moved to stand.

She reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Stay," she pleaded softly. "Please, I don't want to be alone."

He looked at her for a minute, and stood, Hailey, felt her shoulders drop and closed her eyes, so she didn't have to watch him leave when the mattress dipped. She looked over at him; he gave her a small smile and stretched his arm across the bed; it was an invitation. Hailey tucked her hair behind her ear and curled up against his side. Her head tucked into the groove of his neck and shoulder. He was so warm, and comfortable, and with his fingers gently trailing up and down her spine, Hailey didn't even have the chance to fight sleep before it overtook her.


	5. Chapter 5

When Hailey woke up the morning after Vanessa's funeral, Jay wasn't beside in bed beside her; in fact, he wasn't even in the apartment. She looked at the clock to check the time and was stunned to see that it was nearly ten, she hadn't slept in so late since college. Wandering out to the kitchen, she saw a Cubs mug out on the counter beside the coffee maker and smiled. It was her's, Jay had gotten it for her after the first time she'd crashed at his when their doing their thing led to one too many drinks, and she wrinkled her nose at the White Sox mug he'd handed her. Savouring the first sip of liquid heaven, she looked up as the door to the apartment opened, and Jay stepped inside a brown bag in hand. "Morning,'" he greeted gently and held out the bag. "I picked up bagels."

"Thanks," she reached to take a couple of plates down from the cupboard and set them on the small island.

"How did you sleep?" he asked around a bit of food.

"Pretty good," she swallowed. "All things considered."

"Good," he smiled and tucked back in.

"And thank you."

"You said that already," he dismissed. "It's just bagels."

"I meant for last night," she kicked him gently.

Jay shrugged. "You know, you can stay here as long as you want."

Hailey smiled at him. "I do know that, but you were right yesterday."

Jay's eyebrows jumped up in d surprise. "Sorry, did you just say I was right about something?"

"Shut up," she rolled eyes at him and sighed. "I should go home. I love my place. Vanessa loved it too, she'd be devastated if she knew her memory was chasing me out of there."

"Do you want company?" He asked.

"Yeah," she took his hand in her and squeezed. "I do."

*

It was surreal, walking into the house again, the couch, kitchen, the memories of Vanessa were all still there, but somehow it hurt a little less. She and Jay made their way upstairs and paused outside of Vanessa's room; her door was open, they'd never closed it after picking up her uniform.

"I have no idea what to do with her things," Hailey said. "Or the boot money from 51. Vanessa grew up in foster care; she didn't know her family; there's no one to offer it to."

"We're her family," Jay reminded her. "The whole team, and when you're ready we'll all come over. We'll go through her things together, and choose a keepsake or two. The rest well, we can figure that out together too, Will and I donated a lot of dad's stuff. So that's always an idea."

Haley nodded but said nothing. After a minute, she felt Jay's arms snake around her and turned to tucked her head against his shoulder. "Thanks for being here," she finally spoke.

"I'm always gonna be," he rested his chin on top of her head and tightened his grip. "Want to go downstairs? Do our thing?"

She smiled and nodded against him. "Sounds good. You go down get the glasses and the whiskey; I just need a minute."

"Sure," he pulled out of her arms and headed down the stairs.

When he disappeared out of sight, Hailey took a step into the room. She turned around, taking it all in as the memories slowly washed over her. How excited Vanessa had been when they found the place, the young woman never had a room of her own to decorate before. The very first thing she put up was a picture two of them, pulling it off the wall Hailey traced her finger over her friend's beaming smile. "I miss you," the blonde whispered and returned the frame to its place, careful to brush away any dust that may have fallen. Hailey walked out of the room, and closed the door behind her, she had Jay and a drink waiting for her downstairs, and she knew Vanessa, would kick her butt for keeping them waiting; she was always rooting for them. Looking over her shoulder as she headed down the steps, she called out softly. "Goodbye, Vanessa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again guys, thanks for reading. Sorry if this one was a little sad, I do have a funny story coming up that I hope I can start posting in the next week.


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